Roll winding apparatus



y 1961 ROCKSTROM 2,984,427

ROLL WINDING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1956 .INVENTUR LEONARD EOCKJTE'OMt A BY MMJIWMMKMJIMM Hi5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 16, 1961 ROLL WINDING APPARATUS Leonard Rockstrom, Madison,NJ assignor to Cameron Machine Company, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York Filed July 25, 1956, Ser. No. 599,969

Claims. (Cl. 242-65) This invention relates to improvements in machinesfor winding web material into rolls, and more particularly toimprovements in slitting and rewinding machines.

In slitting and rewinding machines, it is normal practice for the web topass around a constant speed roll known as a platen drum, which may bepower driven, and against which the slitters or cutters operate to cutthe web into a plurality of small rewind widths, although slitting maybe done in other locations. These small widths pass to the rewind rollswhich rest against the driven platen drum, the several rewind rollsbeing wound upon rewind shafts, usually two in number, which are mountednear and parallel to said platen drum. The platen drum is also sometimesreferred to as a. contact drum.

The present invention, by way of illustration, is embodied in a slittingand rewinding machine having two shafts, referred to as rewind shafts,for supporting two groups of rewind rolls, such machine being referredto in the art as of the duplex type because of such two shafts. However,certain features of the invention are useful in machines of other types.

In the slitting and rewinding of certain types of web materialsubstantial disadvantages have arisen in the past, particularly withrespect to stretchy materials, because of the need to control a finedegree the pressure acting on the rolls of material which are beingrewound. For example, in many types of material undergoing slitting andrewinding the pressure between the periphery of the rewind roll and theperiphery of the platen drum should be as small as possible commensuratewith the requirement to control the density of such rewind rolls.

Apparatus has been suggested in the past for providing control to a highdegree of the rewind roll-platen drum pressure, with particularreference to: (a) the counterbalancing of the static weight of therewind shaft and its supporting means; (b) the counterbalancing of thestatic weight of the rewind roll as it builds up in diameter; and (c)for automatically compensating for the forces which tend to urgetogether or apart the rewind roll and platen drum, which forces areattributable to the tension upon the web material. Such prior apparatushas operated successfully and has satisfactorily fulfilled its objects.However, such apparatus is relatively complicated in design and costlyto manufacture as compared to the present invention.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention toprovide a greatly simplified slitting and rewinding apparatus which isrelatively low in cost of manufacture.

Another object is to provide novel apparatus of this character whereinthose forces which arise which tend to move the rewind shaft and whichare attributable to the static Weight thereof, and to the static weightof the rewind rolls are automatically compensated thereby eliminatingthe need for a complicated device for measuring such forces.

, A further object is to provide a novel device of this characterwherein the forces which tend to move such platen drum and rewind rolltogether attributable to web tension and resulting from applying torqueto the rewind shaft are prevented from influencing in any appreciabledegree the pressures between the periphery of the platen drum and rewindroll.

Still another object is to provide a sensitive and accurate system forcontrolling the aforementioned forces for the purpose of maintaining aminimum uniform pressure between the rewind roll and platen drum therebyto produce straight sided rolls of uniform density, the system beingadjustable to provide a heavier pressure between said roll and drumwhich can be uniformly maintained where needed.

The invention, in one aspect thereof, includes in combination, a platendrum over which passes a relatively wide web. A pair of rewind shaftscoact therewith on opposite sides thereof and upon which are rewound therelatively narrow rewind widths of such web after the slitting thereof.The platen drum is mounted for rotation about an axis in a selectedhorizontal plane. Means are provided for mounting the rewind shafts forrotation about their respective axes which also are positioned in suchselected plane and parallel to the drum axis, such rewind shaft mountingmeans including guiding devices for permitting movement of the rewindshafts axes in such plane relative to the platen drum while parallel atall times to such drum axis. Such guiding devices include for eachrewind shaft a pair of track members for opposite shaft ends which.members are straight and horizontal and which movably support thereonrespectively a pair of movable rewind shaft bearing elements, one foreach shaft end. There are further provided suitable anti-skewing meansfor holding the rewind shaft axis parallel, as aforementioned, at alltimes to such drum axis but allowing movement of such shaft axisrelative to the drum axis, that is, toward or away. Drive motor meansfor each rewind shaft are provided, each motor being mounted upon itsrespective and pertinent rewind shaft bearing element for movementtherewith. If desired, in a separate and nonanalogous form of theinvention such pair of track members for each rewind shaft instead ofbeing horizontal as aforementioned may be tilted downwardly from thedrum, that is, one extremity of such pair may benear to such drum andintersect or extend into such horizontal plane, such track memberstilting downwardly therefrom at an adjustable angle. Such tilt can beselected to compensate for friction arising as the weight of the rewindrolls builds up. Alternatively, such pair of track members instead ofbeing straight and tilted down can be curved downwardly, the curveselected to compensate for friction caused by the progressivelyincreasing weight of the rewind rolls as they build up in diameter. Alsosuch curve or angle of tilt can be selected to compensate for drivingtorque acting on the rewind shaft dependent on the type of materialbeing wound. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, theaforementioned track members are horizontal because such attitude isbest adapted for certain types of web material, particularly of thelight stretchy variety. The form of the invention employing tilted trackmembers (instead of horizontal) can be advantageously employed for usewith certain other types of web material, for example, of relativelyhigher density. One of the principal reasons for employing such tiltedtrack embodiment of the invention is that such tracks can be situated insuch a way that in operation two components of force are created whichtend to urge the rewind shafts away from the platen drum in such a waythat these forces compensate for the progressively increasing friction,for example,

on the rewind shaft bearing elements, caused by the.

build-up of static weight of the rewind rolls as their diameterincreases, this situation being accentuated in the case of high densityweb materials. Such two components of force are: that component urgingthe rewind shaft away from the platen drum due to web tension, and thatcomponent tending to urge the rewind shaft away from the drum due toforce of gravity. In the tilting track embodiment of the invention, thelocation of the initial and final points of tangency of a rewind rollare significant in that they determine the effect of the horizontaltension component of force upon the rewind shaft. Excluding thoseconstructions where horizontal tracks are employed, the horizontal planecontaining the axis of the drum, and also excluding those constructionswhere horizontal tracks are employed, the horizontal plane being aboveor below the horizontal axis of the platen drum, the location of theinitial and final points of tangency are a function of track inclinationand hence effect the directions of the web tension component which urgesthe rewind shaft either toward or away from the platen drum. Hence bygoverning: (a) the inclination of the tracks (with the aforementionedexceptions); and (b) the point of first tangency of the rewind roll andthe platen drum, there can be controlled the effect of the horizontalweb tension component of force, that is, the strength and direction ofaction of such component either toward or away from the platen drum.Hence the roll tension can be controlled in so far as it is effected bysuch horizontal web tension component of force.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings which show, by way of example, one form of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a schematic perspective representation of one form ofapparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of certain of the parts ofapparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of thesupporting means for a rewind shaft shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a device for slitting asingle relatively wide web 10a into a plurality of relatively narrowribbons or strips 10b by means of slitter wheels 10c acting against aplaten drum and rewinding such strips into rewind rolls Ne and 10respectively upon a pair of rewind shafts 11 and 12, which arerespectively the front and rear rewind shafts of the machine.

The rewind shafts 11 and 12 are mounted for movement in cooperation withsuch platen drum herein designated 13 having a supporting shaft 14, theaxis 140! of which is preferably horizontal.

Such slitting can be accomplished either by the slitter wheels 100 ofthe score cut type acting against the platen drum 13 as shown, or byother types of cutting means for effecting, for example, shear cut orrazor blade cut. Alternatively the slitter wheels 100 may bear against adrum other than platen drum 13.

The rewind shafts 11 and 12 are mounted for movement parallel to oneanother, parallel to the platen drum 13, and thus parallel to shaft 14and axis 14a thereof. Such rewind shafts also are mounted for movementin the horizontal plane which passes through the axis 14a. The reasonsfor so disposing the mounting means for the rewind shafts 11 and 12 willappear more fully hereinafter.

Consider, for example, the mounting for the rewind shaft 11 which willnow be described, it being understood that an analogous mounting isprovided for the other rewind shaft 12. Such mounting for shaft 11comprises suitable means for supporting same in a horizontal attitudeand for permitting same to move towards oraway from theplaten drum 13allthe while in a horizontal plane and parallel to such drum. This isaccomplished by means of a pair of parallel track members, 15 and 16,one of which, namely, 15, is partially shown in perspective in Fig. 3,and which comprises a pair of parallel grooved rails 17 and 18 which arerigidly held in spaced relation by any suitable means, and which areprovided with grooves 17a and 18a respectively for receiving tongues 19and 20 of a movable shaft bearing element 21, the latter being providedwith a bore 22 into which one end of said shaft 11 extends and istherein supported preferably by suitable antifriction bearings. Shaftbearing element 21 is slidable along the track member 15, there beinginterposed between such track member and bearing element suitableantifriction means, such as ball bearings, four of which 21a, 21b, 21cand 21d are shown in Fig. 3 on one side of element 21. Balls 21a, 21bbear on surface 18b of rail 18, and balls 21c, 21d act on surface 17b ofrail 17. Two other pairs of ball bearings (not shown) are provided onthe other side of element 21, analogously situated, for bearing onsurfaces 180 and respectively.

The opposite extremity of shaft 11 rests in a movable shaft bearingelement 23 analogous in construction to element 21.

Suitable means are provided for preventing shaft 11 from becoming askewin its mounting wherein it would be non-parallel to the axis 14a of theplaten drum, such antiskewing means comprising, in the form shown, apair of parallel arms 24 and 25 which are rigidly secured to respectiveopposite extremities of a shaft 26 which is mounted for angular movementin suitable bearings 27 and 28. The upper extremities of the arms 24 and25 are bifurcated to form two pairs of parallel subarms 24a, 24b and25a, 25b adapted to receive in close engagement respective oppositeextremities of the rewind shaft 11 as shown and thus to maintain suchshaft parallel to the axis of shafts 14 and 26, the latter of coursebeing parallel to such shaft 14.

The bearings at 27 and 28 preferably are made to high precisionstandards with a small tolerance, for example, one ten thousandths of aninch.

The tolerances between the bifurcated subarms 24a, 24b and 25a, 25b withthe shaft 11 are of a similar order. Such close tolerances are desirableto minimize any movement of shaft 11 out of parallelism with axis 14a.Shaft 12 is in similar relation to its anti-skewing means (not shown).

Analogous means generally and partly shown at 29 are provided for therewind shaft 12.

The torques for driving rewind shafts 11 and 12 are provided each by itsrespective and separate power means mounted upon its respectivepertinent shaft bearing element, for example, element 21 or 23 for shaft11, and analogously for shaft 12. The motor for driving shaft 13 isshown at 35'. Regarding shaft 11 such power means comprises,illustratively, an electric motor 35, the housing for which is suitablysecured to the traveling shaft bearing element 23. There are thuseliminated those forces tending to shift the axis of shaft 11 (or 12)which heretofore have been attributable to torque transmission to suchshafts via gear trains from torque sources located relatively remotefrom such shaft. The platen drum 13 in turn is driven by its respectiveelectric motor 36. The motor 36 drives the platen drum 13 preferably ata constant angular velocity, although the invention is not limitedthereto. The drive motor 35 for shaft 11, and the analogous motor 35'for shaft 12 are operatively associated with the motor 36 for thepurpose of driving rewind shafts 11 and 12 each at an angular velocitywhich progressively diminishes as a function of the increase in diameterof the rewind rolls thereupon. This can be effected by any suitablespeed control means 37 for such drive motors for shafts 11 and 12, forexample, as shown and described in U.S. Patent 2;650,'039 granted August25, 1953 to Thomas M. Carter. 'By virtue of the particular mounting ofthe rewind shafts 11, 12 aforementioned, it will be seen that during theoperation of the machine, that is, during the slitting and rewinding,there is no force acting upon either of such rewind shafts which tendsto move same relative to the platen drum 13 due to:

(a) Static weight of either of such shafts and its mounting means. Thisis true because the only component of force acting upon such shafts andtheir respective mounting means occurs in a vertical direction;

(b) The static weight of the web material as it builds up duringrewinding. This is true for the same reason given in (a) above becauseof the horizontal nature of the track means, such as 15 and 16, whichsupport the rewinding shafts; and

(c) The tension of the web materials. This is true because thecomponents of forces attributable to web tension, and which ordinarilywould tend to urge the rewind shafts 11 and 12 towards or away from theplaten drum 13, act in a vertical direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.That is, the resultant of the force vectors acting upon, for example,the rewind shaft 11 and attributable to web tension (resulting fromapplication of center rewinding torque by motor 35) acts at the point oftangency 38 of the rewind roll 39 (of the roll group 102) and platendrum 13. Since the point of tangency 38 occurs in a horizontal plane inwhich are positioned the axes of the rewind shafts and of the platendrum shaft 14, such resultant is positioned as shown at 40 actingupwardly in a vertical direction through the moment arm 41. It is clearthat such resultant 40 cannot urge shaft 11 either towards or away fromthe platen drum 13.

In order to achieve a fine degree of control of the pressure betweensuch rewind rolls e and platen drum 13, a pair of pneumatic powerdevices 42 and 43 are provided having pistons 44 and 45 respectivelywithin cylinders 46 and 47. Fluid under pressure is directed intorighthand chambers 46a, 47a in such cylinders for the purpose of urgingthe rewind shaft 11 towards the platen drum 13, such fluid being, forexample, air from a main conduit 43 which is conducted to such righthandchambers 46a, 47a by means of a conduit 49 under the control of a handvalve 50. Also, the lefthand chambers 46b, 47b within such cylinders 46,47 respectively are subject to counter-fluid pressures under the controlof a hand valve 51 which is interposed in a conduit 52 connected to bothof said lefthand chambers and to such main conduit 48. By controllingthe pressure differential on opposite sides of the pistons 44 and 45 (bymeans of valves 50, 51), a very fine degree of control can be obtainedover the aforementioned pressure of the rewind rolls 10:: upon drum 13.

In those instances where the friction upon the rewind shaft bearingelements progressively increases to a significant degree with thebuild-up of rewind roll weight, I have found it advantageous to increaseprogressively the force acting on the pistons 44 and 45 for the rewindshaft 11 (and acting upon analogous pistons for rewind shaft 12), suchpistons as aforementioned tending to urge the rewind roll away from theplaten drum. This can be done automatically by automatic control meansfor the valves 50, 51 and hence for the pistons 44, 45. For example, acam 53 (Fig. l) operatively connected to the pivot shaft 26 is alsooperatively connected to the valves 50, 51 by suitable valve controlmeans 54 having a cam follower 55 whereby the above result can beattained.

A similar device (not shown) is provided for con trolling the pressureof the other group of rewind rolls 10 upon drum 13, rolls 107 beingwound upon shaft 12.

Such pressure between rolls 10a, 10 and drum 13 can thus be reduced toan extremely low value, and can be made as small as possiblecommensurate with a desired density of the rewind rolls.

What is claimed is:

1. In a winding machine, the combination of a pair of-rewind shafts; aplaten drum; means for mounting such platen drum for rotation about anaxis which is positioned in a substantially horizontal plane; and meansfor mounting said rewind shafts near to said drum for rotationalmovement about their respective axes located in such plane and parallelto such axis of said drum whereby a substantially straight line normalto all of said axes is horizontal; such mounting means for said rewindshafts including guide means for guiding the movement of such shafts insuch plane relative to said drum while holding such shafts parallel tothe axis of said drum, and also including a pair of shaft bearingelements; and a pair of element mounted drive motors drivably connectedto respective of said shafts.

2. In a winding machine, the combination of a pair of rewind shafts; aplaten drum; means for mounting said platen drum for rotation about ahorizontal axis; means including movable shaft bearing elements formounting said rewind shafts also for rotation about respectivehorizontal axes in a horizontal plane containing said firstnamed axisand for movement relative to said platen drum while such respective axesare horizontal, such mounting means for said shafts including guidemeans for holding said shafts parallel to the axis of said platen drumand parallel to one another during movement of such shafts relative tosuch drum; and a pair of drive motors drivably connected to respectiveof said shafts and each mounted upon a respective shaft bearing elementof the aforementioned mounting means of said shafts for movement towardor away from said platen drum in response to the respective movement ofsuch rewind shafts toward or away from said platen drum.

3. In a winding machine, the combination of a pair of rewind shafts; aplaten drum; means for mounting said platen drum for rotation about ahorizontal axis; means for mounting said rewind shafts also for rotationabout respective horizontal axes in the horizontal plane containing saidfirst-named axis and for movement relative to said platen drum whilesuch respective axes are horizontal, such mounting means for said shaftsincluding means for holding said shafts parallel to the axis of saidplaten drum and parallel to one another during movement of such shaftsrelative to such drum and further including horizontal track members andmovable shaft bearing elements for each such shaft, such track membershorizontally guiding the movement of said elements; and a pair of drivemotors mounted upon the respective aforementioned shaft bearing elementsof said rewind shafts for movement toward or away from said platen drumin response to the respective movement of such rewind shafts toward oraway from said platen drum.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a platen drum; a pair of rewindshafts; mean for mounting said platen drum for rotation about ahorizontal axis in a selected horizontal plane; two pairs of horizontaltrack members, one pair for each of such rewind shafts; two pairs ofmovable shaft bearing elements, one pair for supporting each rewindshaft upon its respective pair of track members, each track member inturn supporting its respective shaft bearing element whereby said shaftsare horizontal and in said selected plane; guide means for holding saidshafts parallel to said drum axis; and a pair of shaft drive motors fordriving respective of said two rewind shafts, said motors being mountedupon their respective shaft bearing elements of respective of saidshafts.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a platen drum; a pair of rewindshafts; means for mounting said platen drum for rotation about ahorizontal axis in a selected horizontal plane; two pairs of trackmembers, one pair for each of such rewind shafts; two pairs of movableshaft bearing elements, each pair for supporting its re spective rewindshaft, each track member in turn supporting its respective shaft bearingelement whereby said shafts are held horizontal; linkage means forholding said shafts parallel to said drum axis during relative movementof said drum and shafts toward and away from one another;

an'd'a pair of shaft drive motors for driving respective of said tworewind shafts, each of said motors being mounted upon its respectiveshaft bearing element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HoeFeb. 3, 1914 Church Apr. 21, 1914

